And the results. Oh, the results. I don’t know what to do, say, think, or feel. I don’t know where to go. It was just so very delicious.

A note: this beautiful pie contains raw eggs. This does not bother me in the least, and I encourage you not to really worry about it if you’re good and healthy. The risk of actually becoming sick from eating raw eggs is very low. But if you are immunocompromised, pregnant, or gettin’ on in years, you should not consume raw eggs because of the theoretical risk of becoming ill. I wouldn’t serve this to Ga-Ga, because she’s 94. I would give her a Ding Dong from my pantry instead.

Until they’re pretty fine. They’ll pretty much be the crust here in a minute, so they need to be chopped fine enough to be pliable.

Whatever that means.

Grab some semi-sweet chocolate. Please don’t judge my dirty fingernails. I’ve been feeding cattle, horses, and children and I don’t have time for manicures.

Grate about 2 ounces.

Obviously, semi-sweet chocolate chips won’t work too well in this application.

Throw the chopped nuts and the grated chocolate in a bowl with some packed brown sugar and a dash of salt.

And I’m really sorry about the bokeh today. I don’t know what happened; I was chasing daylight and forgot to close my aperture.

Ree! Your aperture is showing!

Sorry. Just a little exposure humor for you there.

Get it? Exposure?

I’m sorry. Please forget you ever met me.

Stir it together, then drizzle in some Kahlua to make it all come together.

Stir it all together until it’s totally combined.

Pour it into a regular (not deep-dish) pie pan.

Use your (clean, preferably) hands to gently press the mixture all over the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

And guess what? That’s it! You don’t bake it. You just stick it in the fridge. So easy it should be a sin. Note that this crust is on the crumbly side, so in order to make it and serve it you have to be okay with imperfection.

Oh, and if you could please notice the stainless steel countertop on which my pie pan is sitting, you’ll see precisely what I love about it (the scratches) and what those who like things perfect hate about it (the scratches).

Differences make the world go ’round!

Now it’s time to make the filling: slightly softened butter, sugar, instant coffee granules, and a little more Kahlua.

Whip this for a minute and a half, until it’s totally combined and fluffy. Scrape the bowl when you’re done.

Melt some more semi-sweet chocolate and let it cool (it helps to do this before you even start making the crust), and drizzle it into the bowl while the mixer’s on medium speed.

Add some vanilla, too.

Mix it together, scrape the bowl, and mix again.

Okay, what we’re going to do now is add four eggs over a twenty minute period, with the mixer continually on medium speed. Add an egg, beat five minutes, add a second egg, beat five minutes, etc.

As you add the eggs and beat…

The mixture will get lighter and lighter. And more beautiful. And more irresistible.

And by the last egg…

It looks so darn lovely, you think you’ll die. It smells like chocolate…coffee…sweetness…and light.

And guess what? It makes a tad more than you’ll need in the pan…so taste away.

Pull the crust out of the fridge…

And plop the filling right on in.

Smooth out the top…

And just sit there and watch it for awhile.

Now, refrigerate the pie for at least two hours before serving. It’ll become nice and firm and wonderful…you just simply won’t believe it. And you can serve it as is, of course, or you can top it with whipped cream and more grated chocolate.

Preparation Instructions

To make the crust, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, grated chocolate, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine, then drizzle in Kahlua, stirring until combined. Press mixture into a pie pan, bringing it up the sides a bit. *Do not bake* Set aside or refrigerate until needed.

In small microwave safe bowl, melt 3 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter, sugar, 2 teaspoons instant coffee, and 1 teaspoon Kahlua until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it into the butter/sugar mixture as it beats on medium speed; use a rubber spatula to get it all out. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined, scraping the sides if necessary.

On medium speed, add the four eggs, one at a time, over a period of 20 minutes; leave about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Scrape sides of bowl halfway through this process. Pour filling into the pie crust. You might have a little filling leftover. If you do, I'll trust you to do the right thing.

Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).

Are you SURE this can compete with your other chocolate pie? Certain??

I will have to find out for myself. It’s the only way.

4

Ann On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:10 am

Sorry! It looks terrific but I do NOT mess with raw eggs! My kids may NOT eat cookie dough (unless I make an eggless version designed to consume raw and never bake), they may NOT lick the beaters if there was raw egg in the mix, and I certainly will NOT be able to make or eat a pie with raw egg. I feel nauseous just thinking about it! At least I’m not tempted this time!

I try not to think about the raw when something chocolate is involved!

6

Claudia On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:12 am

WooHoo! Looks like I’m the first!
This looks wonderful, I might have to make this, well after we finish the pound cake =)
Also, once the eggs combine with the sugar, they are condidered safe to eat. Something about the chemical process it casuses in the eggs (?) So you are safe to eat up!

Michel On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:18 am

Katherine On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:20 am

That pie looks amazing. I’ll be sure to make it when this monster in my uterus makes his appearance in April. Oh, wait. I’ll have no time to bake then. Ok, I’ll be sure to delegate making this pie to my mother.

Also, we just recently bought an ooooold house and reno-ed the kitchen. I talked my husband into putting stainless steel countertops on the island and I love them. Love love love them. I can bake Christmas cookies without them sticking, I don’t care about the scratches (hey, it’s called a “patina”, people) and cleans up great. So, thanks for the recommendation! We’re loving it! (And, stainless steel is CHEAP!)

Ginny On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:42 am

anyone have any suggestions if you do not have/want kahlua

32

Sandy On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:43 am

Y’know, we all grew up eating raw eggs… and we’re still here. I think too many people these days lead lives hemmed around with disclaimers and fears. Some of those folks would get great benefit out of living on a ranch with the dirt, the animals and the need to actually DO things even though they’re uncomfortable. What are these care-crazy mom’s kids going to be like when they grow up? (Sorry for the rant!)

33

EY On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:43 am

Looks great Ree. For those of you worried about, grossed out over or who shouldn’t eat raw eggs, just buy pasturized eggs and you’ll have nothing (or extremely little) to worry about in this dessert. I’m sure they’re harder to find and probably more expensive than regular eggs, but peace of mind is generally worth a dollar.
As for me, well, if I die from a bad egg after eating this dessert or frozen uncooked cookie dough (that I made, not the storebought stuff), at least it will be a happy death.

I like your attitude about raw eggs. Sometimes I think we worry about all the wrong things. But then, I’m an old farm girl who used to pick up a dropped sandwich from the ground, brush it off and eat it. It was that or starve till dinnertime.

37

Ginny On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:48 am

You people kill me that have no problem eating raw eggs. You have obviously never had food poisoning from it.

Man, I am so surprised that people are all up-in-arms over the raw eggs! I hope you all don’t eat ceasar salad out at restaurants, because it’s very common for them to use raw eggs in the dressing mix in addition to the anchovies (if they are making it the RIGHT way).

This looks incredible! I think I might have to make it for my husband and see how much he loves me.

47

Carolina Girl On Wednesday, January 20 at 8:59 am

For those of you who, like me, are abjectly terrified by raw eggs: as someone else pointed out – pasteurized eggs are a perfect solution. They are sold at most major grocery stores and are perfectly safe (just remember to wash the outside of the egg as well before you use it if you’re very paranoid about bacteria/germs) – after all, you consume technically “raw” milk (it’s been pasteurized but not cooked) right?
Personally, i don’t think i could live the rest of my life knowing that i could have had this pie and had not because of eggs… MM it looks good!

If you don’t ant to use Kahlua, you could use cold espresso or coffee instead. It would just give you a different kind of buzz :-).

51

Tiff Smith On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:01 am

Looking at that pie filling makes me want to roll in it! It looks so silky, smooth & luscious! (I’d eat it too!)
And it’s a great excuse to have chickens – they pop out an egg, you pop it straight in your pie filling & no one worries about nasty bacteria.
I think we risk food poisoning more from eating out than from eating raw eggs.

cindilu On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:02 am

You’re killing me… at 30 weeks pregnant I’m pretty sure I fall into one of the risk groups, which means I am also in the risk group of people that might eat that whole pie in one sitting. Not fair. Although this might be a great midnight feeding pie in a couple months…

Karen On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:12 am

I have a similar version of this recipe only without the mocha. It is heavenly! It is my family’s favorite dessert. The crust looks sooo yummy!

66

Linda Cormack On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:13 am

That looks so good. I will have to wait to make it, 20 minutes of whisking with a hand held does not sound good. I have asked for a kitchen aid mixer for my 40th birthday which is very soon, fingers crossed.

67

Lori in Michigan On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:16 am

The crust alone looks amazing!!!! The filling to die for!!!! I’m making this one very soon!! Thanks Ree!

68

Debra On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:17 am

People, seriously, if you have eaten in a public place I can guarantee you have eaten worse than raw eggs, and survived….Ree, you’re gonna make me go buy Kahlua aren’t you?????

I love you. My husband loves you. My family loves you since we made your apple dumplings. My mother’s neighbors love you since she gave apple dumplings to them when I made them. Well, actually they love me…they just don’t know they love you indirectly.

My jeans, however, are not your biggest fans. They are tight and ill-fitting and have been put aside for the moment in favor of sweatpants. The sweatpants I’ll be wearing while making and eating this pie.

Sara On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:23 am

Well, as wonderful as that looks, it is not here. BUT, that wonderful pound cake is. So, if you’ll excuse me, lemon (I squirted a healthy dose of lemon juice into your recipe) pound cake is calling me for breakfast!

My mom used to make a fantastic French silk pie, and stopped making it because of the raw eggs. When I got married, she got me an updated Betty Crocker cookbook, and it had the exact same pie recipe, only it used eggbeaters instead of raw eggs. It tasted just as good with the eggbeaters, which are pasteurized.

This pie sounds delicious…I might have to make it for my birthday!

76

Anna On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:26 am

I dream about stainless steel countertops with many lovely scratches.

77

AW On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:26 am

Must have. What a fabulous breakfast food for PMS Week. Off to the store after work.

78

Diana On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:26 am

I gotta try this, without the nuts, sadly. ‘Cause they’d kill me.

79

Ali R On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:27 am

The other thing you could use if raw eggs creep you out are Egg Beaters or any pasteurized egg product, I haven’t met a grocery store yet that doesn’t have them!

80

Sheila On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:29 am

Hmm. Fear holds so many back . . . we live in SUCH a fearful society, have you noticed?

I made your pots de creme . . . and then made them again, only this time, as a filling between layers of your sheet cake for a birthday last week . . . it turned out FABULOUS!
My husband loved it and said it got better after sitting a day . . .

mellystx On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:30 am

kelly On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:32 am

This looks amazing! Cant wait to try it! Im amazed by all of the egg comments.. and was suprized by the thought of washing off your eggs.. Im glad that thought has never occurred to me, and my kids are still alive!

I’m in a risk group! While being pregnant does have it’s high points not being able to consume this pie is NOT one of them. It looks so wonderful!!! I might have to eat 3 Ding Dongs to make up for no pie!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks yummy! I have been eating raw eggs my whole life (58 years) and never gotten sick from them. I think the problems have arisen from factory farmed eggs…if you saw where they came from you probably wouldn’t even want to eat them cooked! Buy local eggs from pastured chickens and you won’t have a problem.

I’d eat this in a heartbeat! My mom makes a pie similar to this and while I can’t make it because the raw eggs are icky to me, I’ll eat it if she makes it!! Kind of like steaks…if I’m cooking, I can’t stand it rare. If someone else is cooking, make that sucker moo!

93

Linda C On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:40 am

I am getting fat just looking at this.
How about a nice Panini sandwich.

I have a question for anyone who knows about such things: Can I use walnuts instead of pecans? I live in Turkey and can’t get them. Would walnuts change the texture of the crust in such a way that I would have to do something different?

You had me at Kahlua. What many folks don’t realize is that many ice creams (often marketed as “premium” or “old fashioned”) contains raw eggs. Ben & Jerry’s? Raw eggs. Just know your sources, and, like Ree says, if you’re in a risk group, don’t chance it.

96

rere On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:43 am

looks great tasting! oh yea, i noticed the heart shape of the ingredients in the bowl – cool!

97

Merideth On Wednesday, January 20 at 9:44 am

Mmmm, I was going to say I didn’t like you very much, since it looked like I was going to have to wait until mid-August to try this (I suppose having a baby is a good reason to wait LOL). Then I remembered (and thanks for those posters who mentioned it, too) the pasteurized egg products. I’m going to make either this or your other chocolae pie recipe this weekend. I think my hubby will love me even more!

By the way… raw eggs don’t skeeve me out, unless that’s all you consume is the raw egg from a glass (EW). We’ve all been eating products with raw eggs since we were big enough to put our fingers in the batter bowl. I’ve never once in almost 37 yrs ever gotten sick from raw eggs. Now you people who eat raw fish – that’s gross!

O.M.G.!!! I make your chocolate pie every couple months, either for friends or for my own family, and you’ve just “kicked it up a notch!”. I have a big ol’ bottle of Kahula that’s just waiting to be part of this pie! Thanks!